Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

  • Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
  • Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
  • Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
  • Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the lead UN agency on international development, working in about 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, and build resilience, focusing on six core areas: poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy, and gender equality. 

UNDP in Papua New Guinea is prioritizing environmental protection and climate change adaptation under Outcome 4 of its 2024-2028 Country Programme. The initiative aims to strengthen climate resilience, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable natural resource management. It also supports PNG in meeting its commitments under international climate agreements, such as the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework. Additionally, UNDP works on advancing natural capital accounting to better recognize the economic value of ecosystems, ensuring their long-term protection and sustainable use.

The UNDP environment and climate change portfolio in Papua New Guinea (PNG) plays a crucial role in advancing sustainable resource management and climate resilience. Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), several key projects contribute to this mission. The Sustainable Financing of Papua New Guinea’s Protected Area Network (GEF 6) focuses on ensuring long-term financial support for protected areas, enhancing conservation efforts, and promoting biodiversity protection. Meanwhile, the Integrated Land Management, Restoration of Degraded Landscapes, and Natural Capital Assessment in the Mountains of Papua New Guinea (GEF 7) aims to restore degraded ecosystems and implement sustainable land-use practices, particularly in mountainous regions, to protect vital ecosystems and mitigate climate change impacts.

Building on these initiatives, the Accelerating PNG’s Sustainable Blue Economy through Strengthened Governance and Investment in Marine Areas (GEF 8) addresses sustainable marine resource management. This project strengthens governance frameworks and promotes investment in marine conservation, supporting PNG’s efforts to develop a resilient blue economy. Together, these projects form a comprehensive strategy for the sustainable use of PNG’s natural resources, integrating land and marine conservation, climate adaptation, and economic development. Through these efforts, UNDP and its partners aim to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability, ensuring long-term benefits for both people and nature.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is home to one of the world's most diverse marine ecosystems, featuring vast coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows. These ecosystems provide critical services, including food security, climate resilience, and livelihoods for coastal communities. However, unsustainable resource use, habitat degradation, climate change, and weak governance threaten the long-term viability of these ecosystems.

The project, Accelerating PNG’s Sustainable Blue Economy through Strengthened Governance and Investment in Marine Areas, is a six-year initiative implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA). With financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF-8) and co-financing partners, the project aims to strengthen marine conservation, enhance governance, and promote sustainable economic activities in key coastal and marine areas of PNG.

The project will focus on three key geographic areas: New Ireland Province, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB), and Port Moresby’s Bootless Bay. These regions are biodiversity hotspots facing significant environmental pressures, including illegal fishing, pollution, and deforestation of coastal habitats.

To address these challenges, the project will implement four interrelated components: (1) integrating natural capital accounting into fiscal policies and economic planning, (2) strengthening marine spatial planning and governance, (3) promoting nature-based solutions (NbS) through public-private-community partnerships, and (4) facilitating knowledge sharing and capacity building.

The project is expected to improve 3.9 million hectares of marine areas, restore 20,000 hectares of mangroves, and enhance sustainable fisheries while creating lasting environmental and socio-economic benefits for PNG’s coastal communities and contributing to global climate and biodiversity goals. Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Administrative and Finance Specialist  will provide the financial management services for the project.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Administration and Finance Analyst will provide administrative coordination and financial support services to the project team. The role ensures smooth operations across procurement, logistics, and stakeholder engagement, while supporting the Project Analyst in financial management and compliance.

The Administration and Finance Analyst will report directly to the Project Manager and work under the technical guidance of the Chief Technical Specialist. The incumbent’s primary responsibility is administrative coordination, ensuring smooth operations across procurement, logistics, asset management, and stakeholder support.

Financial responsibilities are carried out in support of the Project Analyst, including maintaining records, preparing reports, providing compliance inputs, and assisting with audits. These functions strengthen programmatic oversight at the operational level.

The incumbent will also coordinate closely with Project Implementing Units (PIUs) and other stakeholders to ensure that administrative and financial processes effectively enable programmatic delivery.

Financial Support (in support of the Project Analyst)

  • Financial records management – Maintain accurate records of project funds and expenditures, ensuring documentation is readily available.
  • Financial reporting support – Consolidate monthly reports, prepare cash flow projections, and provide financial data to the Project Analyst for decision-making.
  • Budget monitoring assistance – Support annual budget preparation, review expenditures for compliance, and monitor foreign exchange rates.
  • Payment processing – Manage FACE forms, validate requests, and support cash/bank management under the guidance of the Project Analyst.
  • Audit and compliance support – Provide financial information during audits, assist with cycle audits, and review reconciliations as requested by the Project Analyst or by the PMU.
  • Grant and agreement oversight support – Assist in ensuring compliance during financial/grant agreement signing and reporting.

Administrative Coordination 

  • Procurement and logistics – Coordinate procurement processes, workshop/event logistics, and travel arrangements.
  • Asset and inventory management – Maintain records of project assets and ensure compliance with organizational standards.
  • Office coordination – Liaise with Project Implementing Units (PIUs) to ensure utilities, facilities, and office requirements are functional.
  • Stakeholder support – Provide timely administrative services to project teams, partners, and stakeholders.
  • Knowledge sharing – Support capacity building in project finance and administration

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. 

Competencies

Core Competencies

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
  • Think Innovatively:  LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
  • Learn Continuously:  LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
  • Act with Determination:  LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
  • Engage and Partner:  LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Business Management           

  • Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making
  • Customer Satisfaction/Client Management: Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns. 
  • Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels. 
  • Monitoring and Evaluation: Ability to systematically monitor results of  strategies, programmes, and activities with a view  to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Direction & Strategy           

  • Systems Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Finance            

  • Budget management: Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets 
  • Audit Risk Management: Ability to address  risks and audit issues raised in the course of an audit and propose solutions in order to ensure a true and fair audit opinion is achieved

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advance university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Public Administration or related field is required, OR
  • A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above,  in combination with an additional two years of qualifying  experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree areas stated above.

Experience:

  • Minimum 2 years (with Master’s degree) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in providing financial  and administrative management services, and/or managing staff and operational systems. 

Required Skills:

  • Experience in high-level planning, organizational, and time management skills, including flexibility, attention to detail, and the ability to work under pressure to meet challenging deadlines is required. 
  • Digital literacy is required. Proven Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling web-based management systems is required.
  • Experience and knowledge of financial procedures and compliance requirements in national or international organizations is required
  • Experience with grants management in UNDP, other development organizations, or comparable national/private sector contexts.
  • Experience in project cycle financial management, or equivalent experience in financial administration or project support within the public, private, or international sectors.
  • Experience in asset and inventory management, ensuring compliance with organizational standards.
  • Ability to provide consistent, timely, and quality services to internal and external partners.
  • Experience in procurement processes and logistics support for events/workshops, travel management (travel authorizations, claims), and asset management.

Required Language(s):

  • Fluency in English language (writing, speaking and reading) and Tok Pisin is required. 

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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